Tracing Footsteps
by Blueberry and Blacktooth
Summary: Edward was good at reading people. Or at least he thought he was... Chasing Pavements from Edward's corner. Edward POV. Edward/Arsinoë.
1. Chapter 1

The first time Edward heard about her was, contrary to what one might have expected, actually through Carlisle. The blond man had jokingly told him about how many times he had been subjected to conversation about the new arrival in town by his patients. Edward, not knowing about what he was talking about, had asked for more information. Carlisle had then explained that Zehira Zeidan -one of the most influential fashion icons in the world, according to Alice anyway- was receiving her teenage niece to live with her for the last two years of the girl's highschool education.

Edward had laughed and said that it was no wonder the town was so excited, since they so rarely had anything interesting happen to them.

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The second time Edward heard about her was through Alice. It was a relaxed day for the Cullen family, one of the last few days of the winter holidays so they decided to spend it as a family. It was during a game of Monopoly that Alice had her vision. The rest of them didn't think anything of it, as it was a pretty common occurrence for her to have one. But Edward had seen it as well, through his sister's mind, and it had worried him. He wanted to say something about it, but the black haired pixie-like woman had shot him a warning look, so he had agreed to just add it to the many secrets he and Alice kept between them.

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The first time Edward saw her was on a Monday morning, through the many eyes of the unsuspecting student population. He had been surprised at her, as she was clearly nothing he had ever expected, not that he had particularly thought about her much in the first place.

The girl was very beautiful, and that was saying something because he, as a Vampire, had seen his fair share of beautiful women in his lifetime, and seduced quite a few of them himself. In truth, Edward thought very little of the human race; according to him; humans were weak, ugly in comparison to his own race and far too shallow. The only redeeming quality they had was their intelligence, and even that was few and far between.

(But in the deepest recesses of his dark, twisted mind, he envied them greatly.)

The new girl was exotic, in every sense of the word. She was taller than the average female, standing at about five-eight, with a figure most males would immediately take notice of and judging by her muscle tone, he could tell that she worked out, probably doing a type of martial arts. She lived up to the Egyptian stereotype of beautiful women, with tan, bronze skin, though not as tan as others he had seen, graceful feminine movements and a hypnotizing voice which he heard carried many other foreign accents that she had picked up, adding all the more to his first thought of 'exotic'. Her facial features were even more unique, brandishing large, extremely light caramel colored eyes, which looked like his own sometimes, mauve colored hair which he could tell was natural by his superior eyesight, unblemished skin, a pointed nose, plump dark pink lips and a slightly narrow jaw.

To be honest, the girl could have passed as Vampire, only if her skin wasn't so tan.

He was also interested to note that, through much observation (because she was literally the only interesting thing within a five mile radius), she was very intelligent. She even, dare he say, seemed _bored _with her classes. She was peculiar, and he found himself observing her with even more interest. He could tell that she was naturally a recluse and did not appreciate the company of her fellow students. She had a very sarcastic sense of humor, bordering on morbid or mocking, but he also noticed that she could be kind if she wanted to, but it was rare. He tried searching for her mind throughout the first half of the day, but was frustrated to find that he just could not find her.

It was unnerving, but he didn't think that much of it.

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The first time he actually saw her with his own eyes was during lunch hour, when he and his siblings had made their way in. As always, as soon as they made their entrance, he was assaulted by the mixed thoughts of the student body, most filled with awe, others envy and quite a bit of jealousy. But as always, he ignored them, and this time he was focused on someone in particular.

There she was, sitting at the table in the middle of the dining hall, looking completely bored and out of place. She didn't look up when they entered, obviously not thinking anything of it, but it was only when she realized everyone was staring at them that she looked up to see what all the commotion was about. Edward was surprised, and only slightly amused to find that she didn't look particularly impressed by them.

"They're kinda ugly don't you think?" She asked casually. Rosalie faltered mid-step, unnoticeable to the human eye but visible to the rest of them. Japer looked surprised, Emmett looked amused and Alice vaguely insulted, but mostly interested.

He later heard that she didn't particularly man it literally, but in the sense that most beautiful people were arrogant, which was true. Rosalie was the perfect example. Said blond had actually been quite enraged by her statement, bristling like an insulted cat and shooting death glares at the girl in the middle of the cafeteria, who seemed completely oblivious.

He heard her ask who they were, only to surprise him, as well as the rest of his siblings as she defended their family's honor and put Jessica in her place.

She was interesting; most people wouldn't do that, especially if they hadn't even met the family and so he found himself even more fascinated by her.

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The first time he smelled her was during Biology, and as soon as her scent his unsuspecting nostrils, all that previous fascination turned into resentment.

Never in his life had he smelt something so _strong. _So alluring. So _damn_ appetizing.

But as he thought of the numerous ways of which he could lure her away like the prey she was, he actually caught sight of her from his own perspective, and not the monster's inside of him. He saw how she was sitting completely still, as far away as possible away from him. He realized that somewhere along the line, she had put down her ponytail and let her thick, wavy, long hair completely cover he neck and in response, muffle the scent of the tantalizing blood underneath. She had slowed her breathing, keeping it subtle and if he didn't know any better, it would have been as if she _knew _what was going through his mind. His thoughts of devouring her. As if she knew her effect on him and was deliberately helping him (or saving herself) by becoming as small as an inconvenience as possible.

But obviously, that was not the case, because there was no possible way that she could know what he was or what she was doing to him. But the mere thought of it was enough for him to calm down and regain his bearings and his sense of control, though the burning in his throat was still there, all he had to do was survive until the end of class, and then he would be free of her.

For the duration of that class he hated her, despised her, and utterly _loathed _her. Because who was she to just waltz in and threaten to destroy everything Carlisle and the rest of his family had worked so hard to achieve. The semblance of normal life which was so hard to find for those of their kind.

She; with her mouthwatering scent of scented spices, tulips and mint, was unlike anything he had ever smelt.

And then that hatred turned to himself, at his weakness because really, it wasn't the girl's fault for smelling the way she did.

He hated how he had almost snapped, as if all his hard years of self-control had gone to nothing in the mere presence of a _human_.

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The first time he spoke to her was on the following Monday, during Biology class. It was the day he had finally returned after his week in Alaska, and much to his own chagrin, as soon as he had seen her that day, his interest had resurfaced.

Especially when he heard the type of music she was listening to. It wasn't the volume at which it was playing (loud enough that almost the whole parking lot could hear) but instead, it was the type she was listening to. Edward had first heard it on the highway, when they had first approached the school thanks to his superior hearing, and he had found himself enjoying it. The woman singing sounded like she was straight from the fifties, using a soft voice, breathy notes and cheeky tones. It was different, something that the average modern teen would not like, instead preferring the fast pop tunes, crude rap songs and loud dance music but she, she was enjoying every minute of it.

He had spent the rest of the morning wondering if he could borrow the CD, just to hear more.

Lunch was spent observing her, much to the incredulousness of his siblings. He made no effort to conceal his stare, and Jessica Stanley had noticed, and decided to tell the object of his interest. The girl (after almost chocking to death from the force of Jessica's shove), had nonchalantly turned, and looked him straight in the eye. Much to his frustration, even after his millionth time of trying to delve into her mind, he failed. He was even more frustrated to see that she didn't outwardly react to him in any way. She didn't seem angry, happy, annoyed, anything at all –and with what seemed like a resigned sigh, she had turned away, her thick purple curls obscuring creating a curtain, blocking him out.

Biology came quickly, and as much as he dreaded speaking to her, he was eager as well. Alice had assured him that he would be alright and so, he decided to take the risk of conversing with her.

She walked in, paused briefly when she caught sight of him, before continuing as if she had done no such thing. She sat in her seat, ignoring his existence completely and opened a new page in her notebook, writing the date and title in her neat but still bold, cursive writing, so uncommon among teenagers.

He decided to make his move, and when he greeted her softly, despite is efforts of trying not to scare her, she jumped in surprise before looking at him. She blinked a moment before returning the greeting, seeming quite uninterested as she did so, scanning over the previous week's notes. Irrationally, he found himself bothered by her lack of interest in him. He was not used to such treatment, especially from a young teenaged female.

He decided to try again, first by apologizing for his previous week's rudeness and then by introducing himself. The raised eyebrow and blank look received in return told him that she wasn't impressed.

She asked how he knew her name and he wondered if she was really so oblivious by the whole town's interest in her, but he humored her by answering anyways. She let out a halfhearted hum, before returning to ignore him again, much to his bemusement. She then confronted him about his absence the previous weeks and he told her his ready-made lie, stating that he had familial problems. She smirked, and proceeded to pretend to understand about how his 'grandmother's sister's cousin's brother's daughter's friend's cousin's pet gold fish' had died. He was amused, because he knew that she was joking, and the sarcasm in her voice only added to his previous conclusion about her special sense of humor.

They exchanged idle conversation for a few minutes, and he was increasingly surprised by her answers. He learned that she was blunt and straight to the point. She said what was on her mind and wasn't afraid to do so. When his skin accidentally made contact with her own, she hadn't jumped or reacted, instead calmly pushing it aside with her index finger.

She was different, and he was intrigued.

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><p><strong><em>Here it is! First chapter of Tracing Footsteps! Hope you liked it!<em>**

**_Drop some questions in the review box so I can answer them for both this, and Chasing Pavements!_**

**_And drop some actual reviews too!_**

**_Blue :)_**


	2. Chapter 2

**IMPORTANT AUTHORS NOTE. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE READ! **

**_Hello there. As I'm sure some of you recall, I completely hated the previous version of this chapter, so as you can see, I deleted it and posted another. It's shorter, but I think it's way better. _**

**_I hope you guys aren't too annoyed ^^_**

**_Also, if you didn't manage to read the previous version of this, then you wouldn't be aware of the pics I posted of Arsinoe. A lot of people had asked what she looked like, so I took the liberty of finding her. Before I put down the link, I'd just like to say that I have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA who this girls is, I did not recieve her permission to post these online, so if you just so happen to be her, the sorry, you are so pretty, and if I were a millionaire and had enough money to turn my fic into a movie, you would totally play Arsinoe. _**

**_Here she is, just imagine her with purple hair, or photoshop it. And if you _do_, then tell me, cause I'd really like to see her with purple hair. _**

**__http _:_/_hollywood-hairstyles_._com_/_wp-content_/uploads/_2015_/02/_2d05e14acf27f78ab9f5616ece87ea4a_._jpg_**

**and _****https_: _/_ _._com_/236x/_39/_c8/_fe_/39c8fe2ed57714798cd251b579e09107_._jpg**

_**Without the underscores obviously, lol.**_

_**I'll also post them on CP when I update. If the links still don't work, then tell me and we'll find a way for you to see them. **_

_**ALSO. I'm really really sorry for not update CP when I said I would. It's been like a month now. I know it was mean of me to keep you waiting, especially since we have the Q and A thingy waiting, but I wanted the chapter to be perfect, and sice up till now, I've been using the books a reference, its a bit weird flying completely solo, haha. Have a little patience, the chapter is almost finished, I promise, and the questions are already answered, so it the chappie should be up soon.**_

**_Now, enough of my rambling!_**

**_Onto the chapter!_**

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><p>Truly, I was not thirsty, but I decided to hunt again anyway that night. A small medium of self-preservation, inadequate though I knew it to be.<p>

Carlisle came with me, we hadn't been alone together since I'd returned from Alaska. As we ran through the dark forest, I heard him thinking about my abrupt departure the previous week. In his memory, I saw the way my features had been twisted with fierce despair. I felt his surprise and sudden worry.

"_Edward?"_ He had asked worriedly, trying understand my frantic demeanor.

"_I have to go Father. I have to go now."_

"_What's happened?"_

"_Nothing, yet. But if I stay, something will."_

The memory was vivid in his mind, and I watched how he'd reached for my arm, eyes filled with concern, then hurt when I'd roughly wrenched it away. Watching it now, my mind relatively clearer, I couldn't help but feel guilty.

"_I don't understand."_ Carlisle had said, the worry seeping heavily into his voice.

"_Have you ever…"_I began recently, "_Has there ever been a time…" _I watched myself take a deep-breath, saw the light in my eyes through the filter of his deep concern.

"_Has any specific person ever smelled better to you than the rest of them?" _I finally asked. Obviously, "them", being the humans. "Much _better?_" I had added for emphasis.

"_Oh." _When I'd realized that he had understood, my face had fallen with shame. He'd reached out to me, ignoring it when I'd recoiled again, and allowed him his hand on my shoulder.

"_Do what you must to resist, son. I will miss you._" He held the keys to the _Mercedes. _"_Here; take my car. It's faster." _

Carlisle was wondering now if he'd done the right thing then –sending me away. Wondering if he hadn't hurt me with his lack of trust. The guilt doubled at that, because even when everything was clearly _my _fault, he still blamed himself.

Truly, I was a despicable person.

"What holds you here, Edward?" He asked, finally voicing his thoughts, "I'm failing to see…"

I sighed, a human habit it seemed I was never able to curb. "I don't know if I can explain." And I was being honest, even I myself didn't understand. He measured my expression for a long moment.

'_No, I do not see. But I will respect your privacy, if you prefer.' _He thought.

"Thank you. It's generous of you –seeing as I give privacy to no one." I answered, but that was a lie. There _was _someone. And I was doing what I could to deprive her of that, wasn't I?

'_We all have our quirks,' _He thought, clearly amused. He laughed. '_Shall we?' _

He'd just caught the scent of a small herd of deer, not very far from us. It was hard to rally much excitement for what was, even under the _best _circumstances, a less than mouthwatering aroma. Right now, the memory of the girl's blood was still fresh within my mind, the very memory even turning my stomach.

I sighed. "Let's." I agreed, though I knew that forcing more blood down my throat wouldn't help me much, if at all.

We both shifted into a hunting crouch and let the unappealing scent pull us silently forward, letting our instincts take control.

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It was colder when we arrived home. The melted snow had refrozen; it was as if a thin sheet of glass covered everything –each pine needle, each fern frond, each blade of grass was glassed over.

Whilst Carlisle went to dress for his early shift at the hospital, I stayed by the river, waiting for the sun to rise. I felt almost swollen from the amount of blood I'd consumed, but I knew the lack of actual thirst would mean little when faced with the girl again.

Or nothing.

Cool and motionless as the stone I sat on, I stared at the dark water running beside the icy bank, staring right through it.

Carlisle was right (as he was most times). I should leave Forks. They could spread some story to explain my absence; Boarding school in Europe, visiting distant relatives, maybe even teenage runaway. It didn't particularly matter, no one would question it too severely.

It would only be for a year or two anyway, and then the girl would disappear. She would go on with her life –she would _actually have _a life to go on with. She'd go to college somewhere, -probably a prestigious University with her intelligence-, get older, start a career, perhaps marry some. I could picture that, I could see her walking down the aisle, dressed in all white and looking absolutely filled with joy at the sight of her groom…

It was weird, the pain that image caused me. I couldn't understand it. Was I perhaps, _jealous,_ because she had a future I could never have? That made no sense. Every one of the humans around me had that same potential ahead of them –a life- and I rarely stopped to envy _them_.

I should leave her to her future, stop risking her life. That was the right thing to do. Carlisle always chose the right way, I should follow in his example now.

The sun rose behind the clouds, and the faint light glistened off the frozen glass. Me included.

One more day, I decided. I would see her just one more time. I _could _handle that. I could even take the opportunity to mention my impending disappearance, set the story up in advance.

It would be difficult. I could feel that in the heavy reluctance that was already making me think of excuses to stay –to extend the deadline to two days, then three…four…

But I would do the right thing.

I knew I could trust my father's advice. And I also knew that I was too conflicted to make the correct, unbiased, decision alone.

_Much too conflicted. _

How much of this reluctance came from my obsessive curiosity, and how much came from my unsatisfied appetite?

I went inside to shower and change my clothes for school. Alice was waiting for me, sitting on the top step at the edge of the third floor.

'_You're leaving again,' _She accused, and I nodded wearily.

'_I can't see where you're going this time.' _

"I don't know where I'm going yet." I informed her honestly.

'_I want you to stay.' _She pleaded, but I shook my head. _'Maybe Jazz and I can come with you?' _

"They'll need you all the more, if I'm not here to watch out for them." I said, "And think of mother, how heartbroken she'd be if half her family left at once." Alice frowned.

'_She's going to be so sad.' _

I tried to push away the guilt. "I know. That's why you have to stay."

'_That's not enough. It's not the same as having you _here, _and you know it.'_

"Yes Alice," I acknowledged, "But I have to do what's right, and if that means leaving, then I will."

Alice wasn't moved, in fact, she seemed even more insistent. '_There are many other right ways, brother. Though many other wrong ways too, aren't there?' _

For a brief moment, she was swept away into one of her unique visions. I watched along with her as the indistinct images flickered and whirled. I saw myself mixed in within strange shadows that I couldn't make out –hazy, imprecise forms. And then, suddenly, my skin was glittering in the bright sunlight of a small open meadow. This was a place I knew. There was a figure lying in the grass with me, but again, it was indistinct, not exactly _there _enough to recognize. The images shivered one last time, then disappeared into a million tiny choices rearranged the future again.

It was awfully disconcerting.

"I didn't catch much of that." I told her when the vision went dark.

'_Me neither. Your future is shifting around so much I can't keep up with any of it. I _think _though….'_

She stopped, and she flipped through a vast collection of other recent visions for me. They were all the same –blurry and vague.

"I _think _something is changing, though." She said aloud for the first time. "Your life seems to be at a crossroads."

I laughed grimly. "You do realize that you sound like a bogus fortuneteller in a dark alley, right?"

She stuck out her tongue at me.

"Today is alright, though, isn't it?" I asked, my voice abruptly apprehensive as nervousness filled my being once more.

"I don't see you killing anyone today." It was slight amusing, how she could say such morbid words with the amount of cheerfulness she used. I smiled slightly.

"Thank you Alice."

"Go get dressed. I won't say anything –I'll let you tell the others when you're ready." She stood and darted back down the stairs, her shoulders hunched slightly.

'_I'll miss you…really.'_

Yes, I would really miss her too.

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><p><strong><em>Hope you liked it. Thanks for all the reviews, and don't forget to drop some more. <em>**

**_Much love, _**

**_Blue :)_**


	3. Chapter 3

The ride to school was quiet that morning. Jasper could tell that Alice was upset about something but he knew that if she wanted to talk about it she would have done so already. Emmett and Rosalie were oblivious, having another one of their 'moments', gazing into each other's eyes with wonder –truthfully, it was rather disgusting to watch from the outside. We were all quite aware of just how desperately in love they were, they didn't need to grace us with a reminder almost every single day…

Or maybe I was just being bitter because I was the only one alone. Some days were harder than others to live with three sets of perfectly matched lovers.

This was one of them.

Maybe they would all be happier without me hanging around raining on their parade, ill-tempered and belligerent as the old man I should by all rights, be by now.

Of course, the first thing I did when we arrived at school was look for the girl. Just preparing myself again.

_Right. _

It was embarrassing how my world suddenly seemed to be empty of everything _but _her –my whole existence centred around one girl, rather than myself anymore. It was easy enough to understand though, because really; after eighty years of the same thing every day and every night, any change would become a point of absorption.

She hadn't arrived yet, but I could hear the music she was playing in the distance. I didn't recognise it, but it was pretty good. I leaned against the side of my car to wait. Alice stayed with me, while the others headed straight to class. They were bored with my fixation –it was incomprehensible to them how any human could hold my interest for so long, no matter how delicious she smelled.

She arrived a few minutes later, music playing at full volume and singing along unabashedly, ignoring the looks she received from other students, much to my amusement. I was surprised at how easily she drove in, considering the fact that the roads were slick with ice and every other human seemed to be nervous and concentrating extra-hard not to cause an accident. Perhaps her Range Rover had a setting to enable driving on Ice easier? Or maybe she was just that good of a driver.

It wouldn't surprise me if she was, she stuck me as the type of person who was just talented at everything she did. Even driving, apparently.

She parked not too far from me, switching off the low engine and seemed surprised when she noticed my gaze. She held it for a few moments, frowning imperceptibly before she was forced to look away when Angela Weber knocked on her window. I was surprised at the feeling of annoyance I felt towards the other girl for drawing her attention away from me, but I forcefully shoved it away. Who was I to be annoyed by someone else receiving her attention?

I watched as she smiled at the other girl slightly and got out of the car, seemingly unaffected by the slippery ground, unlike everyone else who seemed to be having trouble with walking in a straight line.

"I love her outfit." Alice stated, more concerned with what the girl was wearing than anything else. I rolled my eyes at my sister, but didn't say anything, because she did _indeed _look good. Not that I was paying particular attention, I was more occupied with listening into her conversation with Angela.

It seemed that the Asian girl was having problems with her math homework, and probably hearing about the other girl's growing reputation as a 'nerd', decided to ask for help. Personally, I didn't understand why the humans were so adverse to someone being intelligent, it was actually quite refreshing to encounter someone who could actually count to one-hundred without difficulty, but humans were fickle beings, and were easily envious of someone that possessed a trait they didn't have.

Like the ability to do long-division.

As I listened to her patient explanation on how to do a particular problem, I wondered if I could use the excuse of not understanding my own assignment as a chance to talk to her -would she even agree to help me? I wasn't sure, I still didn't completely understand her personalit-

"_NO!" _Alice gasped aloud, sounding horrified.

Instantly, I scanned her thoughts, guessing at first that I had made a poor choice and she saw me doing something inexcusable. But it had nothing to do with me at all.

Tyler Crowley had chosen to take the turn into the parking lot at an injudicious speed. This choice would send him skidding across a patch of ice…

The vision came half a second before the reality. Tyler's van rounded the corner as I was still watching the conclusion that had pulled the alarmed gasp through Alice's lips.

No, this vision had nothing to do with me, and yet, it had _everything _to do with me, because Tyler's van –the tires right now hitting the ice at the worst possible angle- was going to spin across the lot and crush the girl who had become the uninvited focal point of my world.

Even without Alice's foresight it would have been simple enough to read the trajectory of the vehicle flying out of Tyler's control.

The two girls looked up, bewildered by the sound of screeching tires, and as realisation dawned on their faces.

"Angela, we have to move now! Move now!" She exclaimed frantically to the other girl, but Angela was frozen in fear, not responding to anything she said. I watched, still frozen in horror as she frantically for a solution her own alarmed eyes met mine. Much to my distress, her eyes seemed to harden with purpose and she focused her efforts back on Angela, who was still unresponsive.

It was if she didn't have any sense of self-preservation, prioritising another's life over her own!

_Not her! _The words shouted in my head as if they belonged to someone else. Still locked into Alice's thought's, I saw the vision suddenly shift, but I had no time to see what the outcome would be.

She kicked the girl in the back of the knees so she fell into her arms, and a spilt-second before I reached her, shoved Angela away with all her strength so that the other girl would fall and slide across the ice, away from the danger of the speeding truck. I moved so fast that everything was a streaky blur except for the object of my focus. She didn't see me –no human eyes could have followed my flight.

I caught her around the waist, moving with too much urgency to be as gentle as she would need me to be. In the hundredth of a second between the time that I yanked her slight form away from the path of death and the time that I crashed into the ground with her in my arms, I was vividly aware of her fragile, breakable body.

When I heard her head crack around the ice, it felt as if as I too had turned into ice. But I didn't even have a full second to ascertain her condition. I heard the van behind us, grating and squealing as it twisted around the surprisingly sturdy iron of Angela's Toyota. It was changing course, arching, coming for us again –as if she were a magnet pulling it towards us.

I cursed in frustration through my clenched teeth, a thing I had never done in the presence of a lady.

I had already done too much. As I'd nearly flown through the air to push her out of the way, I'd been fully aware of the mistake I was making. Knowing full well that it was a mistake didn't stop me however, but I was not oblivious to the risk I was taking –not just for myself, but for my family too.

Exposure.

And _this _certainly wasn't going to help, but there was no way I was going to allow the van to succeed in its second attempt to claim her life.

I dropped her and threw my hands out, catching the van before it could touch the girl. The force of it hurled me back into the car parked next to the Toyota, and I could feel its frame buckle beneath my shoulders. The van shuddered and shivered against the unyielding obstacle of my arms, and then swayed, balancing unstably on the two far tires. If I moved my hands, the back tire of the van would fall onto her legs.

Oh for the _love of all that was holy, _would the catastrophes _never _end? Was there anything else that could go wrong? I could hardly sit here, holding the van in the air, and wait for rescue! Nor could I throw the van away –there was the driver to consider, his thoughts incoherent with panic.

With an inward groan, I shoved the van so that it rocked away from us for a moment. As if fell back toward me, I caught it under the frame with my right hand while I wrapped my left arm around the girl's waist again and dragged her out from under the van, pulling her tight up against my side. Her body moved limply as I swung her around so that her legs would be in the clear –was she conscious? How much damage had I done in my attempt to rescue her?

I let the van drop, now that it could not hurt her. It crashed to the pavement, all the windows bursting in unison.

I knew that I was in the middle of a crisis. How much had she seen? Had any other witnesses watched me materialize at her side and then juggle the van while I tried to keep her out from under it? These questions _should _have been my biggest concern.

But I was too anxious to really care about the threat of exposure as much as I should. Too panic stricken that I might have injured her myself in my effort to protect her. Too frightened to have her this close to me, knowing what I would smell if I allowed myself to inhale. Too aware of the heat of her soft body pressed against mine –even through the double obstacle of our coats, I could feel that _heat…_

The first fear was the greatest fear they say, and it wasn't far off the mark. As the screaming of the witnesses erupted around us, I leaned down to examine her face, to see if she was conscious –hoping fiercely that she was not bleeding anywhere. Her eyes were open, staring in shock.

"Arsinoë," I asked urgently, "Are you alright?"

She took in a deep-breath before groaning heavily. "I knew I shouldn't have woken up this morning." She answered with a dazed grin. Relief, so exquisite it was nearly pain, made me chuckle. I sucked in a breath, and did not mind the accompanying burn in my throat. I almost welcomed it.

She struggled to sit up, but I was not ready to release her. It felt somehow…safer? Better, at least, having her tucked into my side.

"You should probably remove your hand print from the truck. People are approaching." She advised, shifting slightly. All my previous relief now turned to panic. She had noticed? How much _had _she noticed exactly?

Knowing my luck, probably everything.

She looked away, and I took the chance to quickly smooth the dent over before forcing a confused look on my face.

"What hand print?" I asked, hoping she would just believe me and let it go. She looked at the spot which had previously been damaged, then back at me, smirking and rolling her eyes.

"Tch, yeah right. Ugh, you're so annoying." She stated, and I couldn't help but grin in amusement at her reaction, even though I knew that I should be treating this more seriously, especially since it was clear she didn't believe me.

The accident scene was surrounded now. Mostly students, children, peering and pushing through the cracks to see if any mangled bodies were visible. There was a babble of shouting and a gush of shocked thought. I scanned the thoughts once to make sure there was no suspicions yet. And then tuned it out and concentrated back on the girl.

As she looked around, I noticed that she seemed perfectly alright, but should she really be moving her neck? I wished for Carlisle. My years of theoretical medical study had nothing on his centuries of hands-on experience.

"Don't move! An ambulance has been called and they will arrive shortly!" It was Mrs Cope. It seemed she had finally been able to break through the mass of students and get to us. "Is anyone hurt?" She asked, her thoughts filled with worry.

I ignored the girl's curious gaze on me and answered, "We're alright, Mrs Cope."

"You can let go of me. Like you said, I'm alright." The girl said, giving me a reassuring smile. Before I could answer that no, she was _not _alright, her eyes filled with panic.

"Oh my gosh! My phone! Where is my phone?! I was holding it when I was helping Angela and then you pushed me away!" She asked, frantically pushing out of my hold and looking around the ground for the object. I was incredulous, she was worried about her _phone? _I blinked in confusion for a moment, watching her crawl around frantically before my sharp eyes caught sight of a black object a few feet away, by the front tire of the van.

I picked it up, and looked at the strange device. This was her phone? It was unlike any I had ever seen. It was large for a phone of our time, about the length of my index finger to my palm, and yet it was slim and sleek. The black screen covered its entire length and I couldn't see a keypad to speak of. It said _Samsung _at the back, and yet I had never even heard of a model like it, not even with all of my family's numerous contacts in the technology industry.

"You mean this?" I asked finally, holding up the weird object. She pounced on me gratefully –landing on my lap as she did so- and pressed a button on the side. I watched in fascination as the screen lit up brightly, revealing a grid of dots over her wallpaper (which I noticed much to my amusement, was of an Anime character who I could vaguely recognise because of Emmett's 'infatuation'). Much to my surprise, she touched the screen and drew a pattern, connecting the dots together in a complicated arrangement, and it unlocked. My surprise continued to increase as she slid through the menu, using only her index finger and tapped on the 'Music' icon, before scrolling through her library. The amount of music on it was numerous, and I could only frown as I recognised almost none of it. She sighed, seemingly relieved.

"What is that?" I asked in shock. Where in the world had she gotten such a phone? A phone so advanced that all you needed was to touch it to use. And which did the date on the screen clearly say _'February 10 2014'? _

She seemed to freeze in place after I asked, which only made me more suspicious. What was she hiding?

"Shit." She cursed, clearly panicked, but before I could reply, finally the EMT's managed to pull the van away, halting what I was going to say, much to my annoyance.

I vowed to ask her about it later.

A familiar grizzled voice appraised me. "Hey Edward," Brett Warner said. He was a registered nurse, and I knew him well from the hospital. It was a stroke of luck –the only luck today- that he was the first through to us. In his thoughts, he was noting that I looked alert and calm. "You okay kid?"

"Perfect Brett. Nothing touched me. But I'm afraid Arsinoë here might have a concussion. She really hit her head when I pulled her out of the way…"

Brett turned his attention to the girl, who shot me a fiercely betrayed look. Oh, that was right, she was the quite martyr, who preferred to suffer in silence.

However, she did not contradict my story immediately, making me feel a bit easier.

The next EMT tried to insist that I allow myself to be treated, by it wasn't too difficult to dissuade him. I promised I would get my father to examine me, and he let it go. With most humans, speaking with cool assurance all that was needed. Most humans, just not the girl of course. Did she fit into _any _of the normal patterns?

As they put a neck brace on her (with her glaring so hard that they almost leave it out of fear, much to my amusement), I used the moment of distraction to quietly rearrange the shape of the dent in the tan car I had crashed into with my foot. Only my siblings –who had arrived during the chaos-noticed what I was doing, and I heard Emmett's mental promise to catch anything I missed.

Grateful for his help –and more grateful that he, at least had already forgiven my dangerous choice- I was more relaxed as I climbed into the front seat of the ambulance next to Brett. She was loaded in, and the ambulance was on its way.

I had to think now-to look at what had been done today at every angle. I had to listen, to make sure that I had not put us all in so much danger that we had to leave immediately. I had to concentrate.

There was nothing in the thoughts of the EMTs to worry me. As far as I could tell, there was nothing wrong with the girl. And Arsinoë was sticking to the story I had provided thus far.

My first priority upon reaching the hospital was to see my father. I hurried through the automatic doors, but I was unable to totally forgo watching Arsinoë; I kept an eye on her through the paramedics' thoughts.

It was easy enough to find my father's familiar mind. He was in his small office, all alone –the second stroke of luck in this luckless day.

"Father."

He heard my approach, and he was alarmed as soon as he saw my face. He jumped to his feet, face paling to bone white and leaned forward across the neatly organised walnut desk.

'_Edward –you didn't-'_

"No, it's not that." I told him.

He took a deep breath. _'Of course not. I'm sorry I entertained the though. Your eyes, of course, I should have known…' _He noted my still golden eyes with relief.

"She's hurt though, father, probably not seriously but-"

He cut me off, sensing my panic, "What happened?"

"A stupid car accident. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But I couldn't just stand there and let it crush her-"

'_Start over, I don't understand. How were you involved?' _

"A van slid across the ice," I whispered. I stared at the wall behind him while I spoke. Instead of a throng of framed diplomas, he had one simple oil painting –a favourite of his, an undiscovered Hassam. "She was in the way. Alice saw it coming, but there wasn't time to do anything but really _run_ across the lot and shove her out of the way. No one noticed…except for her."

"I had to stop the van too, but again, no one noticed…besides her. Again." I added bitterly. "I'm…I'm sorry father, I didn't mean to put us in danger." He circled the desk and put his hand on my shoulder.

'_You did the right thing. And it couldn't have been easy for you. I'm proud of you Edward.'_

I could look him in the eye then. "She knows there's something…wrong with me."

"That doesn't matter. If we have to leave, we leave. What has she said?" He asked and I shook my head in frustration.

"Nothing yet."

'_Yet?' _

"She agreed to my version of my events –but she clearly didn't believe me. I expect she'll be asking soon." Carlisle frowned, pondering this. "She hit her head –well, actually I did that," I acknowledged with a frown.

"I knocked her to the ground fairly hard. She seems fine but…I don't think it will take much to discredit her account."

I felt horrible just saying those words.

Carlisle heard the distaste in my words. '_Perhaps that won't be necessary. Let's see what happens, shall we? It sounds like I have a patient to check on.'_

"Please." I begged, sounding pained. "I'm so worried that I hurt her."

Carlisle's expression brightened. He smoothed his fair hair, only a few shades lighter than his eyes, and laughed.

"It's been quite an eventful day for you, hasn't it?" In his mind, I could see the irony, and it was humorous, at least to him. Quite the reversal of roles. Somewhere during that short thoughtless second when I'd sprinted across the icy lot, I had transformed from killer to protector.

I laughed with him, remembering how sure I'd been that Arsinoë would never need protecting from anything other than myself. There was an edge to my laughter, because van notwithstanding, that was still entirely true.

I waited alone in Carlisle's office –one of the longest hours I'd ever endured, listening to the hospital full of thoughts.

Tyler Crowley, the van's driver, looked to be hurt worse than Noë, and the attention shifted to him while she waited for her turned to be X-Rayed. Carlisle kept in the background, trusting the PA's diagnosis that the girl was only slightly injured. This made me anxious, but I knew he was right. One glance at his face and she would immediately be reminded of me, of the fact that there was something not right about my family, and that might get her talking.

She certainly had a willingly enough partner to converse with. Tyler was consumed with guilt over the fact that he had almost killed her, and he couldn't seem to shut up about it, much to her annoyance. I could see her irritated expression through his eyes, and it was clear that she wished he would stop. How could he not see that?

"_Tyler, please shut up."_ I heard her finally ask. "_I've told you the last hundred times that I'm fine. Edward pulled me out of the way before anything could happen."_ She said to him. I exhaled in relief, glad that she hadn't said anything. Then my breathing accelerated. I'd never heard her speak my name before. I liked the way it sounded coming from her –even through Tyler's thoughts. I wanted to hear it for myself.

"_Edward?"_ Tyler asked in confusion. He didn't know who I was.

"_Edward Cullen."_ She said dryly. I found myself at the door, my hand at the knob. The desire to see her was growing stronger. I had to remind myself of the need for caution.

'_Cullen? Huh, that's weird. I saw Angela but not him…It happened so fast, I guess,' _Tyler thought to himself, trying to remember the whole ordeal. Tyler looked at her again, and he noticed the thoughtful look on her face.

'_But damn she's beautiful,' _He thought with awe, _'Even all messed up…I should take her out. Make up for today…' _

I was out in the hall, halfway to the emergency room, without thinking for one second about what I was doing. Luckily the nurse entered the room before I could. It was Noë's turn for X-Rays. I leaned against the wall in a dark nook just around the corner, and tried to get a grip on myself whilst she was wheeled away.

It didn't matter if Tyler thought she was beautiful, anyone would notice that. There was no reason for me to feel…

How _did _I feel? Annoyed? Or was _livid _closer to the truth? That made no sense at all.

I stayed where I was for as long as possible, but impatience got the best of me and I took a back way around to the radiology room. She's already been moved back to the ER, but I was able to take a peek at her X-Rays while the nurse's back was turned. I felt calmer knowing that I hadn't hurt her, not really. Carlisle caught me there.

'_You look better'_ He commented. I just looked straight ahead. We weren't alone, the halls full of orderlies and visitors.

'_Ah yes.' _He stuck her X-Rays to the light board, but I didn't need a second look. '_I see. She's absolutely fine. Well done, Edward.' _

The sound of my father's approval created a mixed reaction within me. I would have been pleased, except that I knew that he would not approve of what I was going to do now. At least, he would not approve if he knew my real motivations…

"I think I'm going to talk to her, before she sees you." I murmured under my breath. "Act natural, like nothing happened. Smooth things over." All acceptable reasons. Carlisle nodded absently, still looking over the x-rays.

"Good idea…hmm…" He hummed in interest, and I looked to see what had his interest.

'_Her bones are stronger than average, she must have really drank her milk as a child!' _He laughed to himself at his joke.

"That's a relief. I'm beginning to think the girl just has really bad luck. Always in the wrong place at the wrong time."

'_Forks is certainly the wrong place for her, with you here.' _I flinched. _'Go ahead, smooth things over. I'll join you momentarily.' _

I walked away quickly, feeling guilty. Perhaps I was too good a liar, if I could fool even Carlisle.

When I got to the ER, Tyler was mumbling under his breath, still apologizing. The girl was blatantly ignoring him, instead seeming preoccupied with her thoughts, legs crossed on the bed, fingering her beanie and looking down, her thick hair creating a purple curtain around her.

I stared at her face for a long moment. This was the last time I would see her. That fact triggered an acute aching in my chest. Was it because I hated to leave any puzzle unsolved? That did not seem like an adequate explanation. Finally, I took a deep breath and moved into view.

When Tyler saw me, he immediately started apologizing. "Hey man, I'm really sorry-"Tyler started sincerely but I raised my hand to halt his apology.

"No blood, no foul." I said wryly. Without thinking, I smiled too widely at my private joke. Arsinoë rolled her eyes, looking amused and exasperated at the same time, almost as if she _understood _it, and that immediately put me on edge again, but I forced myself to remain calm. I took a seat on a bed to her right and swung my legs playfully, grinning again when I saw how genuinely annoyed she looked.

"Wipe that smug grin off your face, douche." She snapped, crossing her arms. My grin widened in amusement at her actions. "I don't see why you forced me to be examined. You were in the accident too." She declared, puffing her cheeks in annoyance. I couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

"My father's a doctor. I get special treatment." I told her with a nonchalant shrug. I could hear Carlisle in the hall now. She didn't seem impressed. "Lucky for you, I've come to bust you out."

I watched her reaction carefully with a frown as my father entered the room. Her eyes widened and her breath hitched slightly. She regarded him carefully, taking in all his features and I coughed and crossed my arms in annoyance. She didn't have to look at him _that _long.

She turned to me, seemingly amused with me, as if she _knew _that I was annoyed. "Ah, Miss Zeidan. It's nice to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you." Carlisle said pleasantly, still looking over her patient board.

"Nothing involving my father I hope." She answered, much to my confusion. Her father?

'_Ah, the famed Hussein Zeidan, I've heard quite a few good things about him actually, but nothing much about his daughter…'_ Carlisle thought to himself. I would have to find out who he was.

"Hmm…not entirely." Said Carlisle. "Now it says here you hit your head?" He asked, putting the papers down and moving forward with the flashlight. I heard the girl sigh in exasperation.

"Yes, but the nurses already performed the X-rays and concluded that there is nothing wrong with me." She explained, blinking quickly when the light was flashed in her eyes.

'_Her hair is so unique, I've never seen anything like it, but it says that it's a genetic defect inherited from her mother? I've heard of cases such as hers, but never such a bold colour.' _Carlisle was thinking.

"I see…Your hair is such an interesting colour." He said more to himself than to her. I watched as she unconsciously fingered a few strands and explained to him what he already knew.

"I see." He agreed offhandedly. "Anyway, like you said, nothing seems to be wrong with you. Physically at least. Mentally, I'm not too sure. You might experience some trauma, so I suggest that you take the rest of the day and tomorrow off." Then he grinned, amusement on his face. "It's not really a suggestion. Doctor's orders." He said to her, and I watched as she too grinned and nodded in acceptance. She seemed to be in a slightly better mood.

"I've prescribed some medication to help with the headache which I _know _you will experience eventually. The nurse will give it to you." He explained as she hopped eagerly off the bed, putting her beanie back on.

'_Where is her Aunt? We haven't been able to get a hold of her…' _Carlisle wondered to himself.

"Do you have anyone to drive you home? We couldn't get in contact with your aunt." He told her and she shook her head in denial as she pulled her boots back on quickly.

"She's not here. She'll be back in a few days though." She explained and Carlisle nodded.

'_Hmm…Edward can drive her home and use the opportunity to deflect any suspicions she might have…' _I looked at him in panic. He wanted me to get in a secluded environment with the one girl whose blood was tempting me even now? What if I made a mistake? Lost control? I had already done too much bad today, I couldn't take even more risks.

'_Don't worry. I have faith in you. I know you can handle it.' _Carlisle thought and I could only agree, because I clearly had no choice in the matter.

She looked at us in confusion, but said a grateful 'thank you' anyway. Then suddenly, she turned to Tyler.

"Um, Tyler, you live with your Grandmother right?" She asked, much to my confusion. Tyler, who was much the same as me, nodded unsurely.

"Yeah, I do, why?" He asked, wondering what she could possibly want. She played with her gloved fingers for a second before answering.

"I need her help with something. And I'm pretty sure she's the only one who can help me." She said.

'_I wonder what she wants, probably something only girls would understand…but Granma isn't exactly a 'girl'…oh well..doesn't matter..' _Tyler was thinking.

"Oh sure, you can talk to her outside. She's filling in some documents in the reception." He said and she thanked him sincerely with a smile that made Tyler's heart speed up and his thoughts go haywire, much to my annoyance.

A feeling of possessiveness washed over me and I placed a hand on the small of her back lightly, ushering her out of the room and away from Tyler's staring eyes. We boarded the elevator, and I watched as she played with her thick hair unconsciously.

I cursed my inability to read her thoughts and unable to help myself, voiced my curiosity. "What do you need Tyler's grandmother for?" She shrugged nonchalantly.

"Nothing too important." She replied as the doors opened. I was frustrated with her, why couldn't she just give me a straight answer? Granted, she wasn't obliged to but it would have been great if I could at least know what was going on in her mind for once.

We stopped by the reception, and I immediately ignored the longing gaze the female worker shot me, instead focused on Arsinoë and the woman were now standing next to, who was obviously Tyler's grandmother. She was dark-skinned, short in the way most humans become when they age and had a kind face which was filled with laugh-lines. Arsinoë hesitantly tapped her on the shoulder and she turned with a smile on her face.

"Hello young Lady. How can I help you?" She asked pleasantly, crow's feet wrinkling as she smiled. Her thoughts were in a language I didn't recognise, and her accent was foreign, tainted with a French accent. I assumed she was from Western-Africa. Arsinoë's smiled brightened (and I ignored the weird feeling that ran through me).

"_Hello Mama," _She began in French, also recognising the accent, much to my surprise. Tyler's grandmother seemed pleasantly surprised. "_Are you Tyler's grandmother?" _She asked, more out of politeness than ignorance. I watched in fascination as the old woman seemed positively giddy with happiness and she nodded.

"_Indeed I am. How may I help you?" _She asked, her thoughts filled with excitement. I watched as Arsinoë took off her beanie, and immediately the old woman looked like she understood what she wanted. I on the other hand, was still confused.

"_Um, I know this is very impolite of me to ask when I do not know you, but you are really the only person I can ask." _Arsinoë began and the old lady nodded for her to continue patiently. "_I was wondering if you could please do my hair?" _She asked. I blinked. Out of all the requests she could have uttered, that was not one I had expected, but Tyler's grandmother seemed completely unsurprised.

She motion Arsinoë forward with a weathered hand, and I watched in surprised fascination as she expertly probed and regarded her purple locks with an air of experience, before nodding and smiling once more.

"_Yes I can. Will tomorrow be okay?" _She asked and Arsinoë nodded with a grateful smile, they exchanged a few more words, Tyler's grandmother giving her directions on how to get to their house, before they hugged and Arsinoë gave her a low, respectful bow in farewell.

The whole encounter made me even more curious of the girl. Was there no end to her mysteriousness? Would I ever _not _be surprised by her?

"You speak French?" I asked when we were in the car. It was hard, being in such an enclosed environment with her, and I felt the burn in my throat grow even more potent as her scent filled my nostrils. I forced myself to ignore it.

"Mhmm." She answered casually as she looked out the window. Once again, she didn't give a straight answer.

"Which other languages do you speak?" I asked in interest. I had to keep the conversation going, I figured I could ignore the burning in my throat if I had something else to focus on.

"Japanese, Mandarin, Korean, Arabic, German. I also speak Tolkien Elvish but that's not really considered a language." She said with a wry grin at the last one. Seven languages? This human girl next to me spoke _seven _languages? She wasn't lying either, I could tell just by looking at her. But how? Most humans had incredible difficulty learning just _one, _and yet here she was.

"Where did you learn them all?" I asked, trying to figure it out. She shrugged, tapping her fingers on the door handle.

"I move around a lot." Was her vague reply. I frowned at the road.

"So much that you are fluent in seven languages?" I asked in disbelief. She rolled her eyes.

"IQ of one-hundred and seventy, remember?" She stated. She didn't say it boastfully, but more as if it were a fact. That aside, she had an Intelligence Quota of one-hundred and seventy?! Merely thirty points away from my own. I was increasingly amazed by this girl, it seemed that she had a never ending list of surprises hidden somewhere, ready to unleash at the most unexpected moments.

"Whoops." She murmured when she realised that no, I didn't know.

Regarding things I didn't know, I _still _didn't have the answer of exactly what her 'phone' was.

"You never answered my question." I told her, stopping at a traffic light. There was a surprising amount of traffic, much to my frustration. She seemed confused, oblivious of what I was referring to.

"Which one?" She asked, and I made an impatient sound, my frustration growing with both her and the slow cars in front of me. She knew exactly what I was talking about.

"You know perfectly well which one." I stated. She was quiet for a moment, and I wondered for the millionth time what was going through her mind, before she sighed.

"Why does it matter? It's just a phone." She said uncaringly. My patience was wearing thin with the drivers in front of me, and I joined the faster moving lane.

Which in fact, turned out to be slower than the last.

"If it's just a phone, why are you being so secretive about it, Arsinoë?" I asked her pointedly. She scoffed.

"Everyone has their secrets Edward." She retorted, sounding annoyed. That shut me up. Who was I to demand answers when I was about to lie to her myself? I would be a hypocrite if I did.

We were silent a few seconds, and I pondered on how best to approach the subject of the accident.

"…How did you get to me so fast?" She decided to do it for me.

"What do you mean? I was right next to you." I asked, almost pleading for her to believe me. She was unconvinced.

"Tch," She scoffed irritably, "Yeah right." She crossed he arms angrily. "You were across the lot. I saw you. Heck, I even smiled at you. I'm not stupid Edward. Don't treat me as if I am." I began to wonder if I'd only ever hear my name tinged with annoyance coming from her. I suppose it was better that way. It would be easier for me to leave if she disliked me, but I couldn't help the feeling of distress that caused me, though for what reason, I did not know.

The traffic finally started moving and I forced my irritation out on the accelerator. My voice was callous. "Can't you just thank me and leave it alone?" I asked, turning onto her street sharply.

"I won't leave it alone. But I will say thank you…Look Edward, I'm not gonna tell anyone if that's what you're worried about. But I should at least know what I'm lying to everyone for." She sounded calmer now –trying to reason with me.

"You won't leave it alone will you?" I snapped angrily, fingers tightening around the staring wheel and glaring at her, trying to get _her_ to see reason. Why wouldn't she just leave it be? If only she knew what she was asking me.

"No, I won't." She answered stubbornly, glaring right back at me, shoulders squared.

"Then I hope you're ready for disappointment." I spat, losing all of my patience. She recoiled, taken aback by the venom in my voice, and I hoped that it was enough for her to just give up on me, but I was surprised when her light brown eyes turned ice-cold and glared so hard at me that even _I _doubted for my safety a moment, before remembering that she was a mere human and _what could she do to me? _

"Fuck you Edward." She hissed icily, before she grabbed her backpack and got out, slamming the door forcefully behind her, stomping away and not even looking back once.

I drove away before she even reached her door.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Random update. Writing from Edward's POV is a bitch. This fic is just gonna be CP from Edward's POV instead of short oneshots now. <strong>_

_**Leave a review**_

_**Hope you like it, **_

**_Much love, _**

**_Blue :)_**


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